Ukraine Bungled Counteroffensive, Faces Loss of Statehood If It Continues Along This Path: Putin

Ukraine seriously bungled its summer counteroffensive and may face the loss of its statehood altogether if things continue in this direction, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

"If what is taking place right now continues, and it is now completely obvious that not only has their counteroffensive failed, but the initiative is in the hands of the Russian Armed Forces, if this continues, Ukraine's statehood may face an irreparable and very serious blow," Putin said at a meeting with heads of municipalities of Russia on Tuesday.

 Blasting authorities in Kiev for rejecting peace talks with Russia early on during the crisis, Putin also lambasted the Zelensky government's latest attempt to force Moscow to the negotiating table on prohibitive terms. "Zelensky's formula for peace is a set of prohibitive demands for negotiations," he said, referring to the formula, which calls for a series of one-sided Russian concessions, including giving up Crimea and the Donbass, 'reparations' payable to Kiev and a war crimes tribunal targeting Russian officials and the military.

 "The so-called 'peace formula' that's being talked about in the West and in Ukraine is a continuation of the decree of the Ukrainian president banning negotiations with Russia," Putin said. "As for the negotiating process, it's an attempt to encourage us to abandon the territorial gains we've achieved over the past year-and-a-half. But this is impossible. Everyone understands that this is impossible," Putin said.